LOWES COMPANIES INC (LOW)

Lowe's Companies, Inc. is the world's second largest home improvement retailer and a Fortune 100 company. It was founded in 1921 with a hardware store in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, incorporated in North Carolina in 1952, and has been publicly held since 1961. Its stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "LOW". As an omnichannel retailer, it sells products and services for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling and decorating through stores, websites and mobile apps, contact centers, on-site sales and branch locations. Its Total Home strategy rests on five pillars: driving Pro penetration, accelerating online sales, expanding home services, creating a loyalty ecosystem, and increasing space productivity.

As of January 30, 2026, Lowe's operated 1,759 home improvement stores and outlets in the United States, with about 196 million square feet of selling space. These include 16 smaller-format Lowe's Outlet stores that sell discontinued, overstocked or scratch-and-dent items. A typical store averages about 112,000 square feet of selling space plus about 32,000 square feet of outdoor garden center, and stocks about 37,000 items. The company also operates over 540 branch locations in the United States and Canada, including those from its 2025 acquisitions of Foundation Building Materials and Artisan Design Group. These branches distribute building materials and provide design, distribution and installation services to larger residential and commercial professionals, home builders and property managers. Product categories include appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lumber, lawn and garden, hardware, kitchens and bath, building materials, rough plumbing, paint, millwork, tools, electrical, flooring and décor. Lowe's sells national brands alongside private brands such as Kobalt, STAINMASTER and allen+roth. It also offers installation services through independent contractors, mainly in kitchens and bath, flooring, appliances, millwork and rough plumbing, along with extended protection plans on many products.

Lowe's serves individual homeowners and renters, whether do-it-yourself or do-it-for-me, and Pro customers such as tradespeople, repair and remodelers, and property managers. The 2025 acquisitions extend its reach to larger Pro customers. The home improvement market is highly fragmented. Lowe's competes with national and regional home improvement chains, lumber yards, hardware and home supply retailers, paint stores, general merchandise retailers, warehouse clubs, online retailers, tool rental providers, installers and wholesalers. Location, assortment, pricing, fulfillment and customer service are the key competitive factors. Demand is seasonal, with the highest sales in the second fiscal quarter and the lowest in the fourth.

Lowe's sources products from vendors worldwide and buys directly from manufacturers whenever possible. It owns and operates more than 120 supply chain facilities, including regional, flatbed, import and bulk distribution centers, cross-dock terminals and fulfillment centers. Delivery options include store pickup, curbside pickup, same-day delivery through a gig provider network, and parcel delivery generally within two business days. As of January 30, 2026, it employed about 167,000 full-time and 109,000 part-time associates, primarily in the United States and India.